Need a recipe for a romantic weekend dinner or a quick weeknight supper? This fettuccine pasta with smoked salmon in vodka sauce is absolutely delicious and easy to make, even for a novice in the kitchen.
If you like smoked salmon, you will love it in this bisque with lobster. Have you ever considered adding it to your quiche? Try it; it's easy and incredibly tasty!
📃 Why it Works
This is definitely a dish you can make either as a romantic weekend dinner or a quick weeknight supper.
The vodka sauce is silky and not boozy at all. It complements the rich and distinct flavor of smoked salmon perfectly. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
Don't you love creating an amazing dinner with just a few ingredients? I do!
- Fettuccine pasta - You can substitute it with linguine or spaghetti.
- Smoked salmon [lox] - check out the FAQ section for more info!
- Butter - I don't recommend replacing it with oil simply because the butter makes this dish silky and adds richness.
- Fresh dill - don't skimp on this herb! It pairs perfectly with fish dishes, and it makes all the difference!
🔪 Instructions
You'll love how easy it is to make this sophisticated dish. Here is how it's done:
- Cook the pasta: Place the fettuccine pasta in a large pot with boiling salted water and cook al dente according to package directions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt the butter, add heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil. Add the vodka, smoked fish, and dill and simmer until slightly thickened; season with salt and pepper.
- Finish: Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and gently toss. Serve hot!
- First, it is important to cook pasta al dente as it will continue to cook in the sauce. I usually rinse the pasta with cold water, too, to stop the cooking process.
- When seasoning the sauce, go easy with the salt as the smoked fish is already pretty salty. It's always easier to add salt than to remove it.
- Also, if you cook the cream on high heat, it will curdle. You only want a gentle boil, and don't let it get too thick, or you won't have enough sauce to coat the pasta.
- Lastly, if you do have any leftovers from this smoked salmon noodle dish, you'll need to add a bit of heavy cream before reheating it and potentially extra salt or pepper as well.
- A side of fresh salad greens and a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir goes well with this delicious dish.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Smoked trout or mackerel are suitable substitutes for smoked salmon.
Not all smoked salmon is lox, but all lox is smoked salmon. Confused? 🤔 It's simple:
Smoked salmon is made from any part of the fish, salt-cured and brined, then smoked.
Lox is [originally] made from only the belly portion of the salmon, cured and smoked.
It's best to serve this pasta dish fresh, and I guarantee you won't have any leftovers. However, you can quickly reheat it in your microwave or oven.
Microwave: Heat on low power for one minute; stir the pasta. Continue to heat the dish, one minute at a time, stirring it at the end of each minute until it reaches the desired temperature.
Oven: Warm it up in a foil-covered baking dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Cuban Marinated Grilled Salmon
- Quick and Easy Chinese Pan-Fried Salmon
- The Best Crusted Salmon Recipe
- Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon
Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon in Vodka Sauce
EQUIPMENT
- cast iron skillet
- Colander
Ingredients
- ½ pound fettuccine pasta
- 4 oz. smoked salmon, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons vodka
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook ½ pound pasta in salted water according to the package directions for al dente.
- While pasta is cooking, melt three tablespoons of butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add one cup of cream and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add two tablespoons of vodka, 4 ounces of diced salmon, and a tablespoon of fresh dill; season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce, sprinkle with ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- First, it is important to cook pasta al dente as it will continue to cook in the sauce. I usually rinse the pasta with cold water, too, to stop the cooking process.
- When seasoning the sauce, go easy with the salt as the smoked fish is already pretty salty. It's always easier to add salt than to remove it.
- Also, if you cook the cream on high heat, it will curdle. You only want a gentle boil, and don't let it get too thick, or you won't have enough sauce to coat the pasta.
- Lastly, if you do have any leftovers of this smoked salmon noodle dish, you'll need to add a bit of heavy cream before reheating it and potentially extra salt or pepper as well.
- A side of fresh salad greens and a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir goes well with this exceptionally tasty dish.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in May 2015 and updated in September of 2019 with new photos and recipe tips.
Haley Seymour says
Fettuccine is my FAVORITE! And I love salmon atop anything 🙂 yum!!
Jas says
That makes two of us, Haley! 🙂